How We Teach Open-Ended Partner Dancing

Instead of teaching a "form," we teach the elements that comprise the foundation of all partner dancing. Swing and salsa may involve different stepping patterns, but those patterns are composed of weight shifts and single steps on either foot. Tango may seem to consist of an endless array of complicated moves, but they all rely on a strong connection between partners. Broken down to the smallest possible elements, tango, swing, salsa, waltz, and all of the other partner dances are essentially the same.

Connection

We teach connection through a series of exercises that build each partner's ability to send and receive signals. These signals usually involve shifting one's weight. The simplest exercise starts in a relaxed version of the closed embrace, similar to what is seen in ballroom dance. One partner shifts from side to side, stopping occasionally on either side, and the other follows these shifts and stops. From this point on, a wide ranges of possibilities can be explored.

Stepping, Weight Shifts, and Orientation

Once we have begun teaching the process of connection, we then move further into the basic concepts of weight shifting, including different walking shapes and patterns, the partners' orientation to each other, and the transitions between different positions and movement directions. Sometimes we even teach common names to common stepping patterns, such as the "grapevine." Our purpose in doing this is to show how connection, combined with simple movement elements, can help one learn established movement styles. Rather than rely on such patterns as set moves, we show how students may smoothly alter those patterns, rearrange their individual elements in different ways, and enter into such patterns from completely different steps and positions.

More Movement

When two people dance, more than just the feet move. Where appropriate, and where requested, we show students how to better coordinate the movement of their entire bodies. This may include warm-up exercises that isolate different regions of the body, exercises to strengthen a particular element of movement, or even simple reminders to become more aware of what a particular part of the body is doing. With a stronger awareness of what their bodies do automatically, students can begin to make conscious decisions about how to move, rather than fall into habitual patterns.

Musicality

Believe it or not, we even help our students better hear—and thus dance to—the music. We make a point of highlighting the different layers of different songs and suggesting ways in which students may respond to those layers. The simplest way of doing this, beyond dancing to the beat, is by stopping during breaks in a song. Students usually end up creating their own unique ways of responding to the music once we have helped them better hear it.

Spontaneity

This is a skill we nourish and support rather than attempt to teach. In contrast to a dance class in which students learn a pattern of steps and then repeatedly practice them, we help our students notice what they do differently, naturally, and automatically. When a couple inadvertantly inserted a small dip into their dance, something we hadn't yet taught, we showed them how to dip safely and then how to vary their dip. We find that students feel much more comfortable learning in an environment in which discoveries, variations, and even mistakes are valued and integrated into what they learn.

Open-Ended

These concepts and approaches are just the basics, and just the beginning. Such an approach to partner dancing is meant to be altered; its purpose is discovery and expression, so we're certain it will continue to grow and evolve. Let us know if you have questions about the ideas discussed here, or any other issues related to partner dancing. We'll be glad to discuss them!